North Carolina: Come Hear NC

Come Hear NC partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s campaign to save Nina Simone’s childhood home with an unforgettable performance by Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone, at the North Carolina Museum of Art, in Raleigh. Photo by Sandra Davidson

The State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Arts Council and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is running a year-long campaign, Come Hear NC, in response to Gov. Roy Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper proclaiming 2019 as The Year of Music. The state is celebrating the composers, musicians, studios, venues, instrument makers, labels and listeners who create and support all genres of music. The initiative draws its inspiration from influential musical legacies (including John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Thelonious Monk, Doc Watson, Shirley Caesar, Roberta Flack, James Taylor and others) as well as new generations of North Carolina musicians, who are making their own mark in hip hop, indie music and more. The campaign includes 365 days of web stories, artist interviews, special commissions, stages at major festivals, educational programming and performances across the state. Resource kits help partners to promote the opportunity and capitalize on the initiative at the local level. All activities are designed to promote authentic and compelling stories about music and musicians in North Carolina—especially those that demonstrate the state’s influence on American music—as assets to residents and visitors. For more information, contact North Carolina Arts Council Director of Marketing & Communications Rebecca Moore or Content Strategist Sandra Davidson.